to reste

11

Undur a brod banke bi a bourne 11 side; And as I lay and leonede and lokede on the watres,

I slumbrede in a slepynge,

In a summer season when soft was the sunshine,

I got me into a garment that grew on a sheep's back;

In habit like a hermit

unholy in living,

I went wide in this world

out.

wonders to seek

But on a May morning, on Malvern hillside,

5

I met with a marvel, of magic I thought it. I was weary, forwandered, and went to refresh me

Under a broad bank by the side of a brooklet. hit 12 swyed 13 so. And as I lay and leaned there and looked on the waters,

ΙΟ

15

a mervelous

That I was in a wildernesse, wuste 17 I never

I slumbered in a sleeping,

soothing.

the sound was so

Then came to my mind's eye

vision,

That I was in a wilderness,

never;

ΙΟ

a marvellous

where wist I

And as I looked into the east and up where
the sun was,

I saw a tower on a toft trimly constructed;
A deep dale beneath a dungeon within it, 15
With deep ditch and dark and dreadful to
look on.

A fair field full of folk found I between them,
Of all manner of men, the mean and the

mighty,

Working and wandering

asketh.

as the world

In setting and sowing sweated they hardly,
And won what these wasters with gluttony
devour.

15 did I dream 16 dream 17 knew 18
on high 19 saw
20 field, building-site 21 choicely, skilfully 22 found
working 24 them 25
26 seldom
played
laboured
28 what 29 these wasters
30 destroy

23

27